Blood Between Us | Crime | BL | Romance | Murder |
Author: FrostyDevil
LGBT+ ;Thriller
Title: Blood Between Us
Chapter 1 — The Man Who Didn’t Die
Rain clung to the city like a curse.
Neon lights flickered across wet pavement, reflecting broken colors in the darkness. Sirens wailed somewhere distant, but in this part of the city, no one cared. Crime wasn’t unusual here—it was expected.
And tonight, it had gone wrong.
Kael Verin stood in the alley, breathing steadily despite the body at his feet.
He didn’t look like a killer.
Tall, dressed in a dark coat, his silver chain catching faint light—he looked more like someone waiting for a date than someone who had just put a bullet through a man’s skull. But appearances were Kael’s greatest weapon.
He crouched beside the corpse, checking the pulse out of habit.
Nothing.
“Messy,” he muttered.
The target had fought back harder than expected. Blood stained Kael’s sleeve—not his own. Still, something felt off. Too easy. Too quiet.
A setup?
Kael stood, scanning the alley. Trash bins. Fire escape. A flickering light overhead.
Then—
A sound.
A faint breath.
Kael’s head snapped toward the body.
No.
Impossible.
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing.
The man’s chest… moved.
Once.
Then again.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Before Kael could react, a hand shot up—gripping his wrist.
Strong.
Too strong for a dying man.
Kael twisted instantly, trying to break free, but the grip tightened like iron.
Then the man opened his eyes.
Bright.
Sharp.
Alive.
“You shoot first,” the man rasped, voice rough but steady. “Ask questions never?”
Kael stared.
He had seen a lot in his line of work—survivors, liars, monsters pretending to be human—but this?
A man who should be dead… speaking like he’d just woken from a nap.
Kael pulled his arm free with force, stepping back.
“You took a bullet to the head.”
The man slowly sat up, wiping blood from his temple. “Looks worse than it is.”
“That’s not how bullets work.”
A faint smirk tugged at the man’s lips.
“Guess I’m special.”
Kael didn’t smile back.
He reached for his gun.
The man noticed.
“Careful,” he said softly, rising to his feet. “You might miss again.”
Kael fired.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each shot should have ended it.
But the man moved—fast. Too fast.
By the time Kael processed it, his wrist was twisted behind his back, his gun clattering to the ground.
Pinned.
Helpless.
For the first time in years—
Kael felt something unfamiliar.
Danger.
“Who are you?” Kael demanded, voice low.
The man leaned closer, his breath warm against Kael’s ear.
“Riven.”
The name meant nothing.
But the way he said it—
Like it should.
Riven released him suddenly, stepping back as if the fight bored him.
Kael turned sharply, ready to strike again, but paused.
Riven wasn’t attacking.
He was watching.
Studying.
Like Kael was the interesting one.
“You’re not a regular assassin,” Riven said.
“And you’re not supposed to be alive.”
“Yet here we are.”
Silence stretched between them.
Rain filled the gap.
Kael picked up his gun slowly, not taking his eyes off Riven.
“Who sent you?”
Riven tilted his head. “That’s my question.”
Kael didn’t answer.
Because the truth was—
He didn’t know anymore.
This job had come from a trusted source. Clean. Simple. Routine.
But nothing about this was routine.
“You should leave,” Riven added.
Kael scoffed. “Why? So you can disappear?”
“No,” Riven said calmly. “Because they’re coming.”
As if on cue—
Footsteps echoed at the end of the alley.
Multiple.
Fast.
Kael cursed under his breath.
“Friends of yours?” Riven asked.
“If they were, you’d already be dead.”
Riven smirked again.
“Fair.”
The footsteps grew louder.
Kael made a decision in an instant.
“Move,” he said, grabbing Riven’s arm.
Riven didn’t resist this time.
Together, they slipped through a narrow passage between buildings just as shadows flooded the alley behind them.
Voices.
Weapons.
Searching.
Kael and Riven ducked into darkness, hidden just out of sight.
For a moment, they stood close—too close.
Kael could feel Riven’s heartbeat.
Steady.
Strong.
Alive.
It made no sense.
“You smell like gunpowder,” Riven murmured.
“You smell like trouble.”
Riven chuckled softly.
“You’re not wrong.”
Kael should have left him.
Should have walked away the second he had the chance.
But something held him there.
Curiosity.
Or instinct.
Or something far more dangerous.
“Why didn’t you kill me?” Kael asked.
Riven looked at him—really looked this time.
Not as a threat.
Not as a target.
But as something else.
“Because,” Riven said quietly, “you hesitated.”
Kael stiffened.
“I don’t hesitate.”
“You did.”
Their eyes locked.
Rain dripped from Kael’s hair, sliding down his cheek.
Riven reached out—
Then stopped just short of touching him.
“…Interesting,” Riven whispered.
Kael grabbed his wrist.
“Don’t.”
But he didn’t let go immediately.
Neither did Riven.
The moment stretched—
Tense.
Electric.
Then—
Gunfire erupted nearby.
Reality snapped back.
“They found us,” Kael said.
Riven smiled.
“Good.”
Kael frowned. “Good?”
“I was getting bored.”
Before Kael could respond, Riven stepped out of the shadows—
straight into danger.
“Wait—!” Kael hissed.
Too late.
Shots rang out.
Chaos exploded.
And somehow—
Kael found himself running after him.
Not to kill him.
Not anymore.
But to keep up.
End of Chapter 1
Chapter 2 — A Deal Written in Blood
Gunfire cracked through the alley like thunder.
Kael cursed under his breath as he chased after Riven, boots splashing through rainwater. The man didn’t run like someone escaping danger—he moved like he belonged inside it.
“Are you insane?” Kael snapped, ducking as a bullet ricocheted off the wall beside him.
Riven didn’t even glance back.
“Probably.”
Three men blocked the alley ahead, weapons raised. Their silhouettes were sharp, trained—professionals. Not street-level thugs.
Kael recognized the stance immediately.
This was organized.
Planned.
A trap.
“Down!” Kael grabbed Riven’s collar and pulled him sideways just as shots tore through the air. They crashed behind a metal dumpster, bullets slamming into steel with deafening force.
For a brief second, everything went still except for the rain.
Kael checked his gun. Low on ammo.
Great.
“You really know how to make an entrance,” he muttered.
Riven leaned casually against the dumpster, completely unfazed. “You followed me.”
“I’m fixing a mistake.”
Riven smirked. “Sure you are.”
Another round of gunfire cut the conversation short.
Kael exhaled sharply, calculating angles, exits, timing—
Then Riven stood up.
Just like that.
Out in the open.
“What are you doing?!” Kael hissed.
Riven stretched his neck slightly, as if preparing for a casual walk.
“Ending this.”
Before Kael could stop him, Riven stepped forward.
A shot rang out—
And hit him.
Directly in the chest.
Kael’s breath caught.
Riven staggered—
Then kept walking.
“What the hell…” Kael whispered.
Another shot.
Another hit.
Riven didn’t fall.
Didn’t slow.
He reached the nearest attacker in seconds, grabbing the man’s wrist and twisting—bone snapped with a sickening crack. The gun dropped. Riven caught it mid-air and fired without hesitation.
One down.
The second attacker lunged forward, knife flashing.
Riven moved faster.
A blur.
The knife never reached him.
Blood splattered the wet ground as the second man collapsed.
The third hesitated.
Just for a moment.
It was enough.
Riven tilted his head slightly, almost amused.
“Wrong job,” he said softly.
A single shot.
Silence.
The alley fell quiet again.
Kael stared.
Not at the bodies.
At Riven.
Alive.
Standing.
Breathing.
Despite the bullets that should have killed him twice over.
Riven turned, meeting Kael’s gaze.
“What?” he asked lightly.
Kael stepped forward slowly, eyes sharp. “You got shot.”
“Yeah.”
“In the chest.”
“Mm-hm.”
Kael grabbed his coat, pulling it open.
Blood stained the fabric—but underneath—
No wound.
Nothing.
Kael’s grip tightened. “Explain.”
Riven looked down at Kael’s hand on his chest, then back up at his face.
“You’re close.”
“Answer me.”
Riven’s expression shifted—just slightly. Less playful. More… interested.
“What if I don’t?”
Kael pushed him back against the wall.
Hard.
“I don’t like mysteries.”
Riven didn’t resist.
If anything, he leaned into it.
“I do.”
Their faces were inches apart.
Rain dripped between them, cold against heated skin.
Kael’s voice dropped. “You were my target.”
“Was.”
“I can still finish it.”
Riven smiled faintly.
“Then why haven’t you?”
Kael didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t have one.
A beat passed.
Then Riven spoke again, quieter this time.
“You’re not the only one who was set up tonight.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Riven said, gently removing Kael’s hand from his coat, “someone wanted us to meet.”
Kael stilled.
That thought had crossed his mind—but hearing it out loud made it worse.
More real.
“Who?” Kael asked.
Riven shrugged. “That’s the fun part. We don’t know.”
Kael scoffed. “I don’t do ‘we.’”
Riven chuckled softly. “You’re doing it right now.”
Kael stepped back, jaw tight.
He hated this.
The uncertainty.
The lack of control.
And most of all—
The way Riven seemed completely comfortable in it.
“We go separate ways,” Kael said firmly. “I find out who hired me. You—do whatever it is you do.”
Riven watched him for a moment.
Then—
“No.”
Kael frowned. “No?”
“No,” Riven repeated simply. “You’re coming with me.”
Kael laughed—short and sharp. “You don’t give orders.”
Riven stepped closer again.
Not aggressive.
Not forceful.
Just… certain.
“You’re in danger,” Riven said. “The same people who sent you will try again. And next time, they won’t miss.”
Kael held his gaze.
“I don’t miss either.”
Riven’s lips curved slightly.
“I noticed.”
Another pause.
Then—
“Work with me,” Riven said. “Just until we figure this out.”
Kael hesitated.
He shouldn’t even consider it.
This man was a walking impossibility.
A target.
A risk.
And yet—
“…Temporary,” Kael said finally.
Riven’s smile widened.
“Temporary.”
“Don’t get comfortable.”
“Too late.”
Kael rolled his eyes, turning away.
“First rule,” he added. “You don’t lie to me.”
Riven tilted his head.
“Define lie.”
Kael gave him a look.
Riven laughed.
“Alright. No lies.”
Kael started walking.
“Second rule—you listen when I say run.”
Riven followed easily.
“We’ll negotiate that one.”
Kael sighed. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re still here.”
They stepped out of the alley into the open street, rain easing into a soft drizzle.
For a moment, everything felt almost… normal.
Until—
Riven spoke again.
“Third rule,” he said.
Kael glanced at him. “I didn’t agree to a third—”
“Stay close.”
Kael frowned. “Why?”
Riven’s gaze lingered on him, something unreadable flickering beneath the surface.
“Because,” he said quietly, “I don’t think they just want you dead.”
Kael’s chest tightened slightly.
“What do they want, then?”
Riven’s smile faded into something sharper.
“Something worse.”
End of Chapter 2
Chapter 3 — Too Close to Breathe
The rain had stopped, but the city still felt soaked in something darker.
Kael walked ahead, hands in his coat pockets, eyes scanning every reflection in every window they passed. Old habit. Survival instinct. Trust nothing. Notice everything.
Behind him, Riven followed like a shadow that didn’t belong to him.
Too quiet.
Too calm.
Too… close.
“You’re staring,” Kael said without turning.
“I’m observing,” Riven replied.
“Stop observing.”
“Make me.”
Kael exhaled slowly, already regretting agreeing to this.
They turned into a narrow street, quieter than the others. Dim lights. Closed shops. A flickering sign buzzing faintly above a locked door.
Safe enough.
For now.
Kael stopped abruptly.
Riven nearly walked into him.
“Personal space,” Kael muttered.
Riven leaned slightly closer instead, voice low. “You keep stopping in front of me. Feels intentional.”
Kael turned, eyes narrowing. “Everything I do is intentional.”
“Good,” Riven said softly. “Then you’re aware you haven’t walked away yet.”
Kael held his gaze.
He should.
He knew he should.
But instead, he asked, “Where are we going?”
Riven smiled faintly, like he’d already won something.
“My place.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No,” Kael repeated, firmer. “I don’t go to strangers’ places.”
Riven raised a brow. “You were fine killing a stranger.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
Kael stepped closer, voice sharp. “Because I wasn’t planning to trust him.”
Riven’s expression shifted—just slightly.
Something quieter.
More serious.
“You still don’t,” he said.
Kael didn’t respond.
Because that wasn’t entirely true anymore.
And that was the problem.
A sudden noise echoed from the end of the street.
Footsteps.
More than one.
Kael’s posture changed instantly.
Alert.
Focused.
“They’re tracking us,” he said.
Riven didn’t look surprised.
“I figured.”
Kael shot him a look. “You figured and didn’t say anything?”
“You looked like you needed the exercise.”
Kael stared at him for a second.
Then shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
The footsteps got closer.
Fast.
Not searching anymore.
They knew exactly where to go.
“Inside,” Riven said, grabbing Kael’s wrist and pulling him toward a side door.
Kael tensed at the contact—but didn’t pull away.
This time.
The door opened with a soft click.
Riven pushed him in first, then slipped inside and shut it behind them.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then—
A faint light flickered on.
Dim.
Warm.
The room was small. Bare. A couch, a table, scattered papers—nothing personal. Nothing permanent.
A temporary hideout.
Just like him.
Kael pulled his wrist free.
“You break into places often?” he asked.
“Only when invited.”
“You weren’t invited.”
Riven shrugged. “The door disagrees.”
Kael rolled his eyes, moving toward the window.
He peeked through the curtain.
Shadows passed outside.
Voices.
They were close.
Too close.
“They’re not leaving,” Kael said.
“Good,” Riven replied casually, dropping onto the couch.
Kael turned sharply. “You want them here?”
“I want answers.”
Kael stared at him.
“You’re insane.”
Riven looked up at him, something sharp in his gaze.
“And you’re scared.”
The word hit harder than it should have.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “I don’t get scared.”
Riven stood slowly, closing the distance between them.
“Then why is your heartbeat faster?”
Kael froze.
Riven stepped closer.
Closer.
Too close.
“I can hear it,” Riven murmured.
Kael’s voice dropped. “Step back.”
Riven didn’t.
Instead, he reached up—
brushing a strand of wet hair away from Kael’s face.
The touch was light.
But it burned.
“Don’t touch me,” Kael said, quieter this time.
Riven’s hand lingered for a second longer.
Then dropped.
“But you didn’t move,” he said.
Kael grabbed his collar suddenly, pushing him back against the wall.
Hard.
“I said don’t.”
Riven didn’t fight it.
Didn’t even look surprised.
If anything—
he looked pleased.
“Now you’re closer,” he whispered.
Kael’s breath hitched—just slightly.
Damn it.
This was wrong.
Everything about this was wrong.
The tension.
The proximity.
The way Riven looked at him like he already knew him—
like he could see through him.
Kael leaned in, voice low and dangerous.
“You keep pushing.”
“And you keep pulling me back,” Riven replied.
Their faces were inches apart again.
Closer than before.
Kael could feel his breath.
Warm.
Steady.
Alive.
It didn’t make sense.
Nothing about him did.
“Why are you like this?” Kael asked, almost frustrated.
Riven’s expression softened—just a little.
“Like what?”
“Like you don’t care if you live or die.”
Riven held his gaze.
For a moment, the teasing disappeared.
Replaced by something heavier.
“I died once,” he said quietly.
Kael blinked.
“…What?”
Riven smiled again—but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Didn’t stick.”
Kael searched his face, trying to find the lie.
But there wasn’t one.
And somehow—
that was worse.
Before Kael could respond—
A loud crash shattered the silence.
The door.
They were inside.
Kael released Riven instantly, stepping back and pulling his gun.
Riven straightened, expression shifting back to something sharp.
Excited.
“Finally,” he said.
Footsteps thundered closer.
Voices shouted.
Weapons clicked.
Kael glanced at Riven.
“You ready?”
Riven smiled.
“I was bored again.”
The door burst open.
And chaos followed.
End of Chapter 3
Chapter 4 — The Ones Who Pull the Strings
The door exploded inward.
Wood splintered. Dust filled the air. Boots thundered across the floor as armed men flooded the room, weapons raised with deadly precision.
Kael didn’t hesitate.
He fired first.
A clean shot—center mass. The first man dropped before he could even step fully inside.
“Left!” Kael snapped.
Riven was already moving.
Fast.
Too fast.
He slipped past the second attacker like smoke, catching the man’s arm mid-strike and twisting. Bone cracked. A knife fell. Riven caught it, spun, and drove it cleanly into another man’s throat.
Blood sprayed across the wall.
Chaos.
Gunfire erupted again.
Kael ducked behind the table, flipping it for cover as bullets tore through the space where he’d been standing. His movements were precise, controlled—years of training compressed into instinct.
But even he couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Riven wasn’t just fighting.
He was playing.
Laughing under his breath as he moved through them, untouchable, unstoppable—like he knew none of this could actually hurt him.
Another shot rang out—
Riven took it straight to the shoulder.
Kael saw it.
“Riven!”
But Riven didn’t even slow down.
He grabbed the shooter by the collar, yanked him forward, and slammed his head into the wall hard enough to leave a crack in the plaster.
Then—
silence.
The last body hit the floor.
The room went still again.
Heavy breathing.
The faint drip of blood.
Kael lowered his gun slowly, eyes scanning the aftermath.
Seven men.
All down.
Professional.
And dead.
“…You enjoy that,” Kael said flatly.
Riven rolled his shoulder, wincing slightly—but the wound was already closing.
“I enjoy not dying,” he replied.
Kael walked closer, grabbing his arm and turning it.
The bullet hole was gone.
No blood.
No damage.
Nothing.
Kael’s grip tightened.
“Stop doing that.”
Riven tilted his head. “Doing what?”
“Acting like this is normal.”
Riven met his gaze.
“For me, it is.”
Kael released him, stepping back.
That answer didn’t help.
It made everything worse.
A low groan broke the silence.
Kael turned sharply.
One of the attackers was still alive.
Barely.
Kael moved quickly, crouching beside him and pressing the barrel of his gun against the man’s temple.
“Who sent you?” Kael demanded.
The man coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.
“You… don’t… know…?” he rasped.
Kael’s eyes hardened. “Tell me.”
The man laughed weakly.
“Then you’re already dead.”
Kael pressed the gun harder. “Last chance.”
The man’s gaze shifted—
past Kael.
To Riven.
And something like fear flickered in his eyes.
“…Project… Lazarus…” he whispered.
Riven went still.
Just for a second.
Kael noticed.
“Speak,” Kael ordered.
But the man only smiled faintly.
“They… don’t let… you leave…”
A sharp inhale—
Then nothing.
Dead.
Kael cursed under his breath, standing up.
“Project Lazarus,” he repeated, turning to Riven. “You’re going to explain that.”
Riven didn’t answer immediately.
He was staring at the body.
Silent.
Different.
For the first time since they met—
he didn’t look amused.
Kael stepped closer. “Riven.”
Riven blinked, snapping out of it.
“Yeah?”
“You know what that is.”
A pause.
Then—
“…I used to,” Riven said.
Kael frowned. “Used to?”
Riven ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly.
“It’s not something you forget,” he added.
“Then stop being vague and talk.”
Riven looked at him again.
Really looked.
And this time, there was no teasing. No smirk. No games.
Just something dark.
“They make things,” Riven said quietly.
Kael’s expression didn’t change. “What kind of things?”
Riven’s lips curved faintly—but there was no humor in it.
“Things that don’t stay dead.”
Silence filled the room.
Kael processed that.
Then—
“…You’re one of them.”
Riven didn’t deny it.
Kael exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face.
“Of course you are.”
“You say that like you’re surprised.”
“I shot you in the head.”
“Fair point.”
Kael paced once, thinking.
This wasn’t just a job gone wrong anymore.
This was bigger.
Darker.
And a lot more dangerous.
“They want you back,” Kael said.
Riven shrugged lightly. “Probably.”
“And me?”
Riven’s gaze sharpened.
“They don’t want you dead,” he said. “Not yet.”
Kael stilled.
“Why?”
Riven stepped closer again.
Slow.
Deliberate.
“Because you were supposed to succeed,” he said.
Kael’s chest tightened slightly.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does,” Riven replied. “If the goal wasn’t to kill me.”
Kael frowned. “Then what?”
Riven stopped in front of him.
Close.
Too close.
“To see what you’d do.”
Their eyes locked.
Kael felt it again—
that strange pull.
Annoying.
Dangerous.
Real.
“…And what did I do?” Kael asked quietly.
Riven’s gaze flickered briefly to his lips—
then back to his eyes.
“You hesitated.”
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“I don’t hesitate.”
“You did,” Riven said softly.
“And you’re still doing it.”
Kael grabbed his coat again, pulling him closer.
“Stop saying that.”
Riven didn’t resist.
Didn’t look away.
“You could’ve killed me twice tonight,” he continued. “You didn’t.”
Kael’s grip tightened.
“Maybe I’m waiting for a better moment.”
“Or,” Riven said, voice dropping slightly, “you don’t want to.”
The words hung between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Kael didn’t answer.
Because again—
he didn’t have one.
Footsteps echoed faintly outside again.
More incoming.
Kael exhaled sharply, releasing him.
“This place is burned,” he said. “We need to move.”
Riven nodded once.
But before turning away, he added quietly—
“They’ll keep coming.”
“I know.”
“And it won’t just be to kill you.”
Kael glanced at him. “You said that already.”
Riven’s expression darkened slightly.
“I don’t think you understand.”
Kael frowned. “Then explain.”
Riven held his gaze.
“They don’t want your body,” he said.
Kael felt something cold settle in his chest.
“…Then what do they want?”
Riven’s answer came slow.
Careful.
Like it mattered.
“They want your choice.”
Kael’s brows drew together. “My choice for what?”
Riven didn’t look away.
“For which side you’re on.”
Silence.
Then—
Kael scoffed.
“I don’t pick sides.”
Riven’s lips curved faintly again.
“You will.”
Kael turned away, already heading toward the exit.
“We’ll see.”
Behind him, Riven followed.
Close.
As always.
And somehow—
closer than before.
THE END😌
